It's a Small World
by Lieano2
Summary: Not just any world in paticular, but the whole universe is a pretty small place, as it turns out. KuroFai.


A/N: I wrote this a long time ago, I think sometime in the middle of the Acid Tokyo Arc. Just so you know where my mind was... Because I totally don't mention head or tail of Fei Wong Reed. XD;  
Fai's POV

It's a Small World

The world is a very small place. That's what my mother always said when I was little. At first, I didn't know if I should believe her or not. I mean, how could the world be so small when it was so big? Of course, I didn't take into consideration all the other planets out there at the time. When my journey of traveling dimensions began, I began to realize a little bit of what she meant. There were people on other planets that looked like people we had met other places. I still remember Syaoran's surprise to find the king and the high priest of his world working in a restaurant in Hanshin. And even though I was falling, I remember Kurogane's face when he saw Souma for the first time in Outo. Or the sickening feeling I got when we landed in Yama, a country with a second Ashura.

Small planets maybe, but it's a big universe.

For the first time in my life, I found myself wishing that there was just one planet in the whole galaxy.

Somewhere along the way of our grand journey, Sakura had regained all (or most, if you count the one she left in Tokyo) of her feathers. Syaoran was cured of his evil and my eye was in its rightful place. Ashura had been defeated, though I still refused to stay on that cold, evil planet I had once called home. After, of course, getting Yuuko to let Chi become a new member of our traveling party.

And then we had landed in Nihon. Japan. Kurogane's world. His wish had been fulfilled. I haven't seen him since.

Very soon after we arrived in Clow Country and Chi, Mokona and I bid the children fair well. Now I am alone, with the exception of a Mokona and a cat. Though I loved their company and wouldn't trade either of them for any world, I was so very lonely. I missed the Children every minute, and I missed him every second. I was starting to regret not staying in Japan with him. I mean, I had nothing to run from anymore, so why was I? Force of habit?

The world we had landed in was big, geographically. But the land that was actually inhabited by advancing civilization was only about half. The other half was littered with small tribes of people still living in the dark ages. My companions and I had actually landed somewhere in the middle of that part of the world and had been chased out almost instantly by man-eating heathens. But I wasn't complaining. I liked the technical side of the planet much more. It was pretty much just one big crowded city. Trams, subways, and trains ran every which way, connecting all parts of the city together in obscure and confusing ways. We got lost on the first day, but after a week had gone by, I knew my way around pretty well.

"Mokona is bored with this world," the furry white creature whined one particular morning while I cooked breakfast. "I hardly ever get to go out, and Chi has to stay in cat form." She looked over the counter at the little golden feline sitting patiently at my feet. "Can we leave soon?"

I smiled warmly, keeping my eyes on the meal-in-progress. "If you were bored, why didn't you just say so sooner?" I asked gently. "I thought you were having fun because the wine here is so good."

A greedy grin whipped across Mokona's face, and she licked her lips. "Yes, that's true. Maybe we should stock up on a lot before we leave."

I nodded in agreement. "What a fine idea." Then, with a gentle poke at the plump belly I added, "You're a genius Mokona!"

"I know!" Chi meowed happily in agreement.

After a hearty breakfast of bacon and waffles, we set out on our quest for liquor. It was a nice ritual that was preformed in worlds with good taste for wine, and I enjoyed them. Though, usually Mokona and I were able to sing our 'Alcohol Song' the whole way to the store. Unfortunately, this was one of those worlds lacking greatly in magic, and Mokona was a creature unheard of and was forced to stay just inside the large bag I carried with me, away from the eyes of the public, thus disabling us to sing.

We boarded the train that would take us directly into town where a dirty little shop called 'Adult Pleasures' was. The ride was bumpy and rough, but very silent beside the roar of the wheels on the track and the other passengers' things clanking around in the air. Thinking time was never very fun. It never had been, and it never will be, even if the reasons had changed a while ago.

'Fai,' a gentle voice rang through my head, and I glanced down at the worried black eyes staring up at from beside me on the bench running along the inside of the train. 'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine, Chi,' I said with a smile, patting the kitten on the head. 'Don't worry about me. I'm just fine.'

'You can't lie to Chi,' she said, not wavering her gaze. 'Chi knows you are hurting. But Chi won't ask anymore if you don't want to talk about it.'

'Thank you, lovely.' Talking about him was not going to bring him back, only make me miss him more.

The train jerked to a stop and I watched with amusement as some people around us stumbled and fell with the sudden twitch. But people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. As soon as I stood up and made to move forward, I became one of those people, tripping over something that had been lodged under the bench.

I fell flat on my face and immediately people were crowding around me, asking if I needed help. I politely declined them all, pulling myself to my feet and brushing my pants off just as the train decided it wasn't going to wait for me anymore and tugged out of the station. With a yelp, I lost my footing once again at the sudden mobilization, but this time I landed on my back with my face close to the very thing I had tripped over.

"Um, Sir, are you sure you're okay?"

"Mew?"

"Fai-mommy?" Mokona hissed from the bag beside me.

I blinked a few times, trying to clear the small headache accumulating in my brain. "Oh, yes, I'm-" I stopped talking instantly when my gaze fell upon the long piece of black and red cloth that my foot had gotten stuck in. It was a black bandana with a backwards red crescent moon decorated on one small part of it. I scooped it into my hands, recognizing the symbol and the colors immediately. But… It was impossible… Right?

"Oh, that looks familiar," one of the passengers, a woman that had quite clearly lived many, many years. "I think that belongs to my grandson."

"Only if your grandson is The Slicer, ma'am," another man put in. He was young, and still full of life in his laughing face.

I tilted my head in question. "The Slicer?"

"Yeah. The worst thug in this whole city!" the man shouted as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

I raised an eyebrow. "So I'm assuming if he's so famous, you know what he looks like, don't you?"

The boy that had been so full of answers and energy a few minutes ago looked stumped. Luckily, his buddy stepped in, placing a hand on his shoulder to relieve him. "I think he has red hair."

My heart sank, but I put on a friendly smile to mask it. "Do you know where Mr. Slicer lives so I can return this to him?"

We ended up getting off a few stops later and were very far away from our initial destination. The neighborhood the boys had directed me to was even more cluttered than the rest of the country. The houses were all pushed together in an uneven fashion, making some of them rather deformed and lopsided. None of the colors matched at all. The paved walkways were made with bumpy stones that were unpleasant to walk on (especially for poor Chi, who I eventually picked up and place in the empty bag with Mokona). And everything was deadly quiet. There was not a soul in sight.

Twenty-five forty-eight Crescent Lane was an even sloppier looking house than its most immediate neighbors. It was small, only one level, but kind of long compared to the tall skinny ones flanking it. Still it gave off the impression that the builder had made it before hand, and just wedged it tight in-between the two tall buildings. There was no paint, only the ugly brown color of wood. The windows were tinted black and over all, the place didn't give off a very welcoming feeling. It didn't even have a welcome mat!

I knocked three times. Waited. Nothing. Not even the slightest peep from inside. So after a good two minutes I knocked harder, four more times. And still nothing happened, this time after 5 minutes. So I daringly lifted just one long, pale finger and pressed in the button that cued the doorbell. This time I pressed my ear close to the door, and below me I even watched Mokona and Chi follow suit, sticking their furry heads out of the top of the bag and helping. I didn't protest because I needed the extra help. I wasn't hearing squat from inside. With a sigh, I pulled away and looked down at my friends. "Did you two hear anything?"

"Mokona didn't hear anything," the magical rabbit admitted sadly.

Chi's ears wilted and she looked down, ashamed, "Mew."

I smiled; trying to ease their doubts away. "Hey, don't be sad. I'm sure Slicer-san will be pleased if we just leave his headband here. He can get it when he gets home from… Slicing… people…"

Mokona shuddered as I lay the lost item where the welcome mat should have been, and said, "If he's really like that, Mokona is glad Slicer-doggy wasn't home."

My eyes widened immediately and shot down to look intensely at Mokona. "What did you say?"

Mokona's mouth gaped open slightly, looking at me worriedly. "I said, Mokona is glad Slicer-san wasn't home."

"Oh." I smiled and picked up the bag. "Sorry. My ears must have been playing tricks on me."

I started the sad trek back to the train station… But I didn't get very far from the house before the door creaked open and a quiet, almost inaudible voice called after me, "Fai?"

I stopped instantly, eyes widening and heart quickening. My fingers no longer could support the bag and it fell to the ground (which was luckily only a foot away), and my legs began to shake. Slowly, I turned my head and locked gaze with two wide, crimson eyes that the boys on the train had mistaken for red hair. "K… Kurogane?"

His shock vanished, as if it had never been there, and he bent down casually to scoop up the headband lying on this doorstep. "What's this 'Kurogane' crap? Did you already forget how to properly butcher someone's name?"

I couldn't move. I was just rooted in my spot. This was too good to be true, but I prayed to every God I could think of that it was. Mokona leapt from the bag in a heart beat and bounded over to the black-haired ninja, launching into his chest. "Kuro-daddy!" She cried happily, shimmering tears running down her plush body. "Is it really you?"

"Uh," the ninja groaned, holding a hand just inches from the furry white back as if it were poisonous. "What possessed you to bring the manjuu bun with you?"

"It really IS Kuro-Doggy!"

"I'm not a dog!"

"Ku…" The words were caught in my throat. Once I was able to register the reality of the situation; I put on a true smile, let a tear trickle down my face; and as quickly as I could, closed the long length in-between Kurogane and mine's mouths.

After a very good, long time, I reluctantly pulled away and gazed into the crimson eyes that were unwavering and so very, very beautiful. "Kuro-tan. It really is _my_ Kuro-tan… But how?"

"I… Got bored," he lied, as his face turned red and one of his big hands managed to find itself in my hair, stroking the soft locks lovingly. "So I went to that damn witch and she gave me this." He held up the headband for only a moment before going on. "It lets me travel dimensions, but only once every year. I was looking for you."

"Every year?" I blinked in shock. "My, Kuro-ko's got patience."

"Not really," he said against my lips. And then before going in for another long kiss he said, "Took you long enough to find me." The days weren't so lonely after that.

What a small universe we live in.

End.

A/N: Ya know? I think I was planning on continuing this. Like... as their adventures through worlds! :D ... Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Most likely the later. XD We'll see.


End file.
